Restrictive cardiomyopathy versus constrictive pericarditis: making the distinction using tissue Doppler imaging.

Although the primary cause of constrictive pericarditis is entirely different to that of restrictive cardiomyopathy, the two often present with very similar clinical findings. As such, making the distinction between the two is a diagnostic challenge. We report a case that highlights how tissue Doppler imaging may simplify the distinction between pericardial constriction and myocardial restriction.